DE JARANA

March 7 / 8:00 pm

60 minutes

All audiences

In the Canary Islands, jarana means celebration or festivity. The term, of uncertain origin, appears to derive from a Quechua word that in Peru retains the meaning of joy, mirth, or delight.

Dancer Jep Meléndez and musicians Benito Cabrera and Tomás Fariña revisit the stage concept of their show A pies y manos to present a new work inspired by Canarian festivities.

This creation delves into the ritual essence of celebration and the intercultural connections that such expressions contain. The performance is not a recreation of the island’s festive calendar but a journey through the emotions that celebrations evoke: the chase after devils, the pleasure of dancing, the colorful flags adorning village squares, and even the melancholy of remembering those who are no longer with us.

From pre-Hispanic references evoking aboriginal rites like the Beñesmen to cultural ties with Galicia, the Philippines, or Peru, De jarana is a show of body percussion, tap, and music.

Its proposal transports the audience on an emotional journey rooted in Canarian tradition yet open to contemporary and universal artistic languages.

Benito Cabrera, timplista, folklorist and cultural manager, has developed an extensive international career combining performance, the dissemination of intangible heritage, and the direction of cultural projects. He has performed as a soloist in more than twenty countries —on stages such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Konzerthaus in Berlin— and has led initiatives from institutions such as the Casa-Museo del Timple in Lanzarote. He was musical director of Los Sabandeños (2007–2020) and is the author of the opera “Chaxiraxi” (2024), among other works.

Jep Meléndez, dancer, choreographer and body percussionist, has been part of companies such as Camut Band and Mayumana, and is the artistic director of Cambuyon, a show with which he has toured internationally. Trained in Barcelona and New York, he specializes in tap, sand dance and body percussion, and has performed at festivals around the world. He has created choreographies for major events and stage productions, integrating dance, rhythm and theatricality.

Tomás Fariña, classical guitarist and cultural manager, holds a degree from the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Canarias and has performed concerts in Europe and the Americas. He has recorded albums such as Cafe, 21 and Magmático, and maintains a long-standing duo with Benito Cabrera. He combines teaching with the direction of projects such as the Escuela Taller de Música Popular de Arafo and the cycle of educational micro-concerts at the Casa-Museo Secundino Delgado, consolidating a body of musical creation and dissemination deeply rooted in the islands and with international projection.